Patch-applying mechanism.



J, A. SHERMAN & F. F. FLAGG. PATCH APPLYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED Aume. 1915.

1,205,400. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Fig! -1 J. A. SHERMAN & F. F. FLAGS.

PATCH APPLYING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FELED @uGJs. 19x5.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED srrss a JOHN A. SHERMAN AND FRED F. FLAGG, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS; SAID FLAG ASSIGNOR TO SAID SHERMAN.

PATCH-APPLYING MECHANISM.

Application filed August 16, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN A. SHERMAN and Fnno F. Fn-xoo, both of Worcester, in

patches to the envelop blanks before the" blanks are put into the folding machine or for the application of a label to a gummed surface.

Our invention comprises a hopper of peculiar construction to be mounted on a reciprocating rod such as the soc-alled plunger rod of the envelopmaking machine, though it may be otherwise mounted.

By plunger we mean that part of the folding mechanism which carries the flat blank down through the creasing frame to fold the flaps into vertical position and then into the folding box where, after the plunger has reversed its movement, the flap folders complete the folding of the flaps and seal them to finish the envelop.

In the preferred form of our invention the patch-holding hopper is connected with the plunger rod and the plunger is mounted to have a sliding movement with relation to the hopper, being provided with a suitable opening through which the lower part of the hopper may project to deliver the bottom patch to the blank at the proper time, the plunger serving not only to cooperate with the creasing frame but also as a blank holder to hold the blank during the first part of the upward movement of the hopper while the lower patch .is being drawn there'- from. In all cases the blank is gummed by a properly shaped gummer at the points on the blank to which the patch or label is to be attached.

Our invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which it is shown in its preferred form; igure 1 being a rear Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedNov. 21, 1916.

Serial No. 45,642.

elevation of such mechanism showing its arrangement with relation to the creasing frame and folding box of an envelop machine; Fig. 2 being a section on line 22 of Fig. 1 to show the mechanism in plan or top view. Fig. 3is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side" elevation of the mechanism referred to. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are sections, respectively, on lines 5-5, 66 and 77 of Fig. l.

In the following specification the terms front and rear are used with relation to the front and rear of the envelop machine upon which our device is used.

A is one of the cross-beams of an envelop machine which is supported in the usual way.

B is the plunger. The plunger B has an opening Z) sufficiently large to allow the hopper to lay the patch upon the blank in the proper manner.

C is the creasing frame and D is the bed of the folding box.

E is a vertically-reciprocating rod upon which is ordinarily hung the plunger and which is given a vertically-reciprocating movement by any well known means. This rod E passes through a hub [4 attached to the cross-beam A and serving as Ia guide to the rod E. The lower end of the rodE fits into a socket F forming part of the hopper, being reduced for this purpose and having a groove 7'' cut in it by means of which and a set screw f it is attached to the hopper.

The hopper comprises a plate F of which the socket F is a part, and which supports a top plate G and rods H and end pieces J suspended from said top plate as below described. The rods H as shown are provided with toes h and are constructed so far as their patch-engaging and supporting function is concerned as described in Letters Patent to Flagg and Smith, No. 902,222,

dated October 27, 1908, being intended to scribed.

The top plate is supported by arms F which project upwardly from the plate F and terminate in rearwardly-projecting brackets F which are grooved to rest against the' cross-bars G and are held in place by screws 5 which pass upward into screw holes in the cross-bars G each bracket F having enlarged openings through which the screws 9 pass so as to allow a front and rear adjustment to be given to the top plate.

The rods H are preferably made separate from the slides H to which they are attached by screws 71.. The slides H are slidable vertically in sleeves H the upper end of each of which terminates in a cross-bar i 'The sleeves pass down through enlarged openings 5/ in the plate G so that their position may be adjusted according to the size of patch to be used, and the crossbars H are bolted to the plate G by screws 5 so as to be adjustable. The upper end of each slide H is threaded and carries nuts k to limit the downward movement of the slides. The slides H at each end of the hopper are connected by a cross-bar H attached thereto by screws h. A spring h. connects each crossbar H with a lug on the top plate G, this construction being such as to allow each rod H to yield slightly when striking the envelop blank lying on the bed D of the folding box.

In order to keep the patches in engage: ment with the toes h on the rods H we provide serrated end pieces J which are hung from the plate G between the rods H preferably asshown so as' to engage the ends of the blanks. For convenience of attachment their upper ends are bent inward and terminate in horizontal plates J which are attached to the plate G by screws 9' and dowel pins 7'. s The openings in the plate G through which the screws 7' pass are slightly larger than the screws so that the location of the end pieces may be adjusted, the dowel pins resting in grooves rather than holes to allow this adjustment. Their chief purpose is to prevent the end pieces from turning --about the screws j. The opposing faces of these end pieces J are serrated as shown to form a series of horizontal surfaces j to rest upon the upper surfaces of some of the patches and so, on the downward movement of the hopper, force the patch which is lowermost to engage the gummed surface of the envelop blank. The angular surfaces 7'.

of the serrations allow the patches to slide down so that there will always be a solid pile of patches in the hopper. At the extreme 'patch to be pulled lower end of these end pieces are retreating surfaces j" which reduce the end pressure on the lower patches and allow the lower-most out from the bottom of the pile.

As stated above, the hopper is hung from the plunger rod E and the plunger is hung from the hopper. For this purpose the plate F which is attached to the rod E has two vertical sleeves F at its lower edge and two other sleeves F at its upper edge in line with the sleeves 1 The plunger B has upwardlyqirojecting rods B which pass through these sleeves and are prevented from falling out therefrom by nuts If. This construction is such that there is a play between the hopper and the plunger of say of an inch, the plunger hanging below the lower edge of the hopper about that distance. Springs B surround the rods B, the upper ends of the springs bearing against the under edge of the sleeves F and the lower end of the springs bearing against the pins b in the rods B so that during the creasing operation the plunger cooperates with the creasing frame to crease the blank and when the hopper rests on the blank these springs will be compressed and on the lifting of the hopper the springs will tend to expand and separate the plunger from the hopper. The plate F contains openings 7"", which both serve to lighten the hopper and also prevent friction between the springs 11 and the front face of the plate.

The folding box lies directly under the creasing frame C in its ordinary location, and comprises the table D or bottom of the box and the folders, three of which D, D D are shown. These and the front folder,

which is not shown, are of ordinary shape and are operated in the ordinary way.

K is the carriage which is of the ordinary U-shaped variety and. has slides which run,

ed relation as shown in Figs. 1, 4E and 6.

The envelop blank having been brought by the carriageK over the creasing frame, the plunger B first strikes and drives it down throu h the creasing frame (1 onto the floor D of the folding box, thus beginning the folding operation in the usual way. The stroke of the plunger rod. E, however, has not been expended; in its further downward operation it drives the hopper carrying the patches down through the opening 3) in the plunger and onto the upper surface of the blank which has been previously gummed in any usual or convenient way by suitable gumming mechanism around the opening in the blank. This action compresses the springs B" so that later the plunger rod in rising lifts the hopper (leaving the plunger behind to hold the blank) until the sleeves F engage the nuts 7) when the plunger is lifted by the further upward movement of the plunger rod E and hopper, the plunger in the meantime holding the blank in the folding box. The springs while useful are not always necessary.

The patches are retained in the hopper by the toes it and by the rods H and belly downward somewhat so that the bottom patch engages the gum on the blank some where midway its ends, and it will be seen from this construction and operation that. the bottom patch while engaging the gum and being pulled off thereby from the bottom of the pile of patches in the hopper is not pressed against the blank to be attached thereto by any portion ofthe plunger or of the hopper. When the plunger is drawn out of the folding box the folders are thrown overto fold the flaps in the ordinaryway and at the ordinary time and give them the requisite pressure to cause them to adhere to form the finished envelop. The same operation gives the necessary pressure to cause the patch to adhere to the face of the envelop.

'e do not mean to limit our invention to the precise means of hanging the plunger on the hopper or to the details of construction shown, as the same results ,may be otherwise attained by mechanism which will come within the scope of our claims.

This same device. that is, a part ha 'ing the blank holding function of the part B and hung on the hopper together with the hopper and reciprocating mechanism may be used independently of an envelop machine, either to attach patches to envelop blanks before they are put into an envelop machine or to apply labels or other strips of material to a sheet of paper or other object. one or the other of these parts having been first properly gun'nn'ed according to the shape of the patch. label or other thing to be attached. The purpose of the part B in such cases is to hold the article to which the patch or label is to lie-applied while the attaching operation is taking place. For this reason it may well be described as a blank-holding member. and its outline made to conform to the article with which it is to engage. Moreover when the device is used to apply labels to a sheet of paper or other object the character of the work support is immaterial so long as it supports the work in proper position to receive the pressure of the plunger and in such cases the plunger itself should be made to conform to the article which it is to engage.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a hopper and a blank holding meniher hanging upon and adapted to move with relation to said hopper, said hopper having means for supporting patches from below, and means for engaging the edges of said patches whereby said patches will he forced downward into en agement With said patch supporting means.

2. In a device of the kind described, a reciprocating rod and a patchhopper comprising a front plate fixedly hung from said rod, a top plate supported by said front plate, rods yieldingly hung from said top plate, and having patch supporters at their lower ends, means adapted to cooperate with said patch supporters to hold patches in engagement therewith.

3. In a device of the kind described, a reciprocating rod and a patch hopper comprising a front plate fixedly hung from said rod, a top plate supported by said front plate, rods yieldingly hung from said top plate, and having patch supporters at their lower ends, means adapted to cooperate with said patch supporters to hold patches in engagement therewith, and a blank holding member hung on said hopper to have a slight movement with relation thereto.

l. In a device of the kind described, a reciprocating rod and a patch hopper com-- prising a front plate hung from said rod, a top plate mounted on said front plate, two pairs of rods also hung from said top plate, one pair near each end of said plate, said rods'having patch supports at their lower ends in combination with serrated end pieces one located between each pair of rods to engage the end edges of the patches and cause them to engage said patch supports.

In a device of the kind described, a recipro -ating rod and a patch hopper comprising a front plate hung from said rod, a top plate mounted on said front plate, two pairs of rods also hung from said top plate, one pair nea- *ach end of said plate. said rods having patch supports at their lower ends. in combination with end pieces also hung from said top plate. said end pieces having horizontal serrations and being located between each pair of rods to engage the end edges of the patches and cause them to engage said patch supports, the horizontal surfaces of said serrations being located to give a downward pressure to said patches.

(3. In a device of the kind -described, a-

patch hopper comprising a front plate, and a top plate supported thereby, and serrated end pieces hung from said top plate, said top plate havii'ig rods slidably hung therefrom carrying patch supports at their lower ends. said top plate being adjustably sup: ported by said front plate whereby the location at which the patch is to be supplied with relation to the face of the envelop, may be adjusted.

7. In a device of the kind described, a reciprocating rod, a front vertical plate hung therefrom, a horizontal'top plate adjustably supported on said front plate, adjust able means depending from said top plate whereby a pile of patches may be positioned and supported from below and means for keeping said patches in engagement with said patch supporting means.

8. In a machine of the kind described, a vertically-reciprocating rod, a horizontal plate mounted thereon sleeves depending from said plate, and means for adjusting said sleeves laterally therein, slides mounted in said sleeves to slide therein, and patch supports mounted on the lower ends of said slides.

9. In a device of the kind described, a top plate, patch supports and means for hanging them from said top plate, and means for forcing the patches downward compris ing plates located between said supports and having rectangular serrations, the horizontal portions of which serrations are located to engage the upper surfaces of the edges of the said patches.

' JOHN A, SHERMAN.

FRED F. FLAGG. 

